Quick-action jack.



ALEXANDER W. MARR, OF CANTON, O'IIO.

QUICK-ACTION JACK.

lSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented-Feb. 26, 19118.

Application filed August 10, 1917. Serial No. 185,586.

To all whom it may concern: j

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER MARR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Dhio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in `Quick-Action Jacks, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in quick-action jacks.

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The principal object of the invention is to provide means in a double-ratchet jack whereby theuser may speedily raise the lifting bar to the load before commencing to elevate it, and thereafter quickly lift theV load with a minimum amount of effort. An-

\ other object of the invention is to provide means in such a jack whereby, after the load is lowered sufficiently to remove the weight, Vthe lifting bar will drop down of its own accord.

Another object of the invention is to'provide a quick-action jack which is not only compact, simple and durable in construction,

but which may be readily operated.

Other important andy incidental objects will be set forth in the following` specification and particularly pointed out in the subjoined claims.

The preferred form of embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1 is a side elevational View of my improved jack. Fig. 2 lis. a front elevational view of said jack,

vational view'of the right side of said jack.

Throughout the specification and. drawings, similar reference characters denote correspondingparts.

`In a detailed description of the preferred form of embodiment of my invention, the numeral 1 designates a tubular standard mounted upon a base 2. Vertically movable within vthe standard 1 is a lifting bar l3, to

the'lower end of which a foot-lift 4 is preferably. forged, for movement through a vertical opening 'in the front portion of said jack as shown in Figi 2. -The base2 is preferably spot-welded onto the tubular1` standard 1, after the lifting bar 3 and footlift 4 have been assembled in the jack frame. Upon its upper end the lifting bar 3 carries a concave head 5.

- Formed along the front and rear sides of the lifting bar 3 is a longitudinal series of downwardly-pointed ratchet teeth 6 adapted to be engaged by a pair of upwardly-pointed lifting pawls 7 pivotally supported within the following .described frame construction provided on the upper part of the standard l. A

Preferably screwed to each side of the upper portion of the tubular standard 1 is a fan-shaped plate 8, to the lower middle portion of which there is pivotally secured, by a screw 9, a lever piece 10. These lever pieces straddle the standard 1, and support between their inwardly converging outer ends a lever-handle receiving block 11.

Secured to each one of the lever pieces 10, one on each side of the screw 9,v is a shortl shaft 12 upon which one of thelifting pawls 7 isloosely mounted. These two shafts 12 loosely extend through arcuate slots 13 provided in each ofA the platesS to allow them,

Vand the pawls-7 which` they carry, an up and down movement when Athe lever piecesV 10 are given a vertical reciprocating movement by the user of the jack.

In order to cause the pointed ends of the lifting pawls 7 to engage Vthe ratchet teeth 6 of the lifting bar 8 to raise it when the jack lever is operated, the following construction is provided. Projecting outwardly .from each `pawl 7, near `each end thereof,

is a short cylinder 14 which contains a compression spring 15 that exerts its force to maintain a plunger 16 in the path of a beveled cam: extension 17 at right angles to, and integralwith, a vertically movable slide 18. There are two of these Vslides 18, each comprising'a flat bar containing a longi slots 19 into the left side plate 8 near each side edge thereof, is a guiding screw 20. (See Figs. 1 and 4.) These-screws 20guide the slides'lS through a vertical movement which brings their right-angled cam extensions `17 into engagement with the two upper spring-pressed plungers 16 movable in j the cylinders 14 of the pawls 7. rl`herefore,

when the slides 18 have been raised to their uppermost position, as shown in Fig. 4, kthe Vcam eXtensions17 will be so placed with reference to the two upper plungers 16 that the latter will slidingly engage them during the reciprocating movementof the pawls 7, to force the nose portions of the latter into engagementl with the ratchet teeth 6v on the lifting bar 3.1111 other words, when the pawls are moved up and down `by the lever pieces 10, the camr extensions 17 of the slidesv 18 will press against the plungers16 with sufticient force to compress their springs 15.

- Since the outward movement ofthe plungers V16 is now limited by the extensions 17 of the slides 18, the compressedspringsl will force the nose portions ofthe pawls; 7 into engagement with their respective teeth 6 on the lifting bar 3.

lhen the operator of the jack gives the Y lever pieces 10 a reciprocating. movement, the shafts 12 attachedV thereto will alternately carry the pawls 7 up and down. Furthermore, as the two upper plungers f are now in engagement with the cam eXtensions- 17 of the slides 18, the nose portion of a pawl 7, during lits upward movement, will he in engagement with a tooth '6 on its respective .side ofthe bar 3, to elevate the latter. During this upwardinovement of one pawl, thev other oney willV be lowered by itsrespective shaft 12, with its nose portion riding idly over therteeth, and vice versa, as the operating lever 1s movedfrom one extreme position to the other. During each up rand down movement of the operating lever, the bar 3 will be raised, since when Y one pawl is traveling downward, the other one is being carried upward in engagement with a tooth-on its respective side of the bar 3. Y

For the purpose of enabling the lifting bar 3 to be raised to the load before Ycommencing to elevate it, the slides 18 are-.drawn downward out of engagement with' the two upper plungers 16 and into engagement with the two lower ones, by thefollowing means:

Pivotally secured to the tubular standard 1 below the side plate'8, by a screw 21, is a crank 22. The lower end of each slide 18 Vis preferably screwed to an outwardly projecting arm portion .28 of a vertically mov` able flat metallic member 24. The latter Vhas van irregular hole 25 provided in its lower 17 of the slides` will be in engagement with the twoupper plungers 16 of the palwls'?,

to holdlthe nose portions thereof in engagement with their respective `ratchet 'en the barl 3. When in such position a downwardly projecting, portion27 of the plate 8 will have entered the recess between the arm portions 23 of the Hat member 24 to firmly brace the latter. (rSeeFigs. 1 and 3.)

, When it is desiredL to lower the load, thev crank 22 is turned downwardly to the position it occupies in F ig's.-1 and 2, whereupon its cam pin 26 willfdraw down with it the iiat member 24 vattached thereto, thereby causing'the beveledy cam extensions 17 of the slides 18'to uncover'the two Vupper plungers 16 and engage or cover the two lower side of the lifting Vbar 3. 1f the Yweight of Y the load upon the lifting barl 8 isfapproxi'- mately twelve pounds or'over, it will be suiiicient to cause the nose portion of the pawlto be held in engagement with the tooth to` sustain the descending load, since a'load of that weight will be suflicient to hold the pawl `and tooth in engagement against the pressure *exertedy on the lower end of the pawl by its lower compressed spring 15. And when that particular pawl has reached its eXtreme lower position, the nose portion of the other one will beforced, by itsy respective roller 28, into engagement v.with a tooth on its side of the lifting bar 8 to receive the weight'of the load. At thisV point the lower spring'l on the Yfirst named pawl, being compressed by the beveled extension 17, will exertits forceV against the lower end of saidpawly toJwithdraw its upper end from engagement with'the ratchet toothI 6, since the weight of the Vload has nowV been transferred to the' other pawl.

1t will now be seen that the nose portion of one pawll will remain in engagement with the tooth to sustain the weight' of the load until the. operating' lever reaches one extreme position, whereupon the other pawl Y pletely relieved'of its load. After this point isreached Vand the'. lever is brought to a'hori-V Zontal position, the' lifting bar 3 will drop down to its normal position, since there is no weight uponv it to hold its teeth 6 in engagement `with the nose portions of 'fthe pawls. Likewise, when the lever is in a hor'iz ontal position andy theA extensions 17 ofthe slides'v 181 are over' the lower -plungersi 16- of i the pawls 7 the lifting bar may be speedily liftedtoits load-receiving position without operating said lever. A

A After the-lifting bar 3 is thus 'raised to the aXle of anautomobile or other obj ect to be raised, the cranl22 is turned to its uppermost position, thereby bringing the beveled slide extensions 17 into engagement with the two upper plungers 16 of the pawls 7 Accordingly, asbefore explained, the nose portions of the pawls will then be springpressed into continuous engagement with their respective teethr on the lifting bar 3, to elevate theV latter when the jack-operating lever is reciprocated by the user.

It will now be'seen that the lifting bar of my improved jack may be readily and speedily raised to its load-receiving position without operating the lever,and that it will just as quickly descend to its normal position after it is relieved of the load. Furthermore, the lifting and lowering means I have provided are alternately operable on both sides of the lifting bar to insure a quickaction jack that iseasy of operation and simple anddurable inconstruction. To further insure efiiciency of construction, I prefer that all parts of the jack be made of sheet-steel punchings except Athev lifting pawls, which are preferably made of drop forgings.

I do notwish to be limited to the details of construction and arrangement herein shown and described, and any changes or modifications may bermade therein within the scope'of the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a jack, the combination with a tubular standard, of la lifting bar having oppositely-disposed ratchet teeth thereon, slid- -ingly movable in said standard, a frame secured to the latter', a pair of oppositely-disposed lever Velements fulcrumed to said frame, a pair of vlifting pawls pivotally mounted between said lever elements, one on each side of the fulcruming means, andV adapted to be given an alternate up and down movement by the lever elements, a spring on the upper portion of each pawl, and hand-controlled slidable means adapted to compress said springs to hold the nose portions of the pawls in engagement with the teeth on the lifting bar, whereby the latter vmay be raised whenVt-helever elements are reciprocated. a l

2. In a jack, the combination withy a tubular standard, of a lifting bar having opposed series of ratchet teeth thereon, slidingly movable in said standard, a frame secured to the upper portion of the latter, a pair of oppositely-disposed lever elements fulcrumed to said frame, a shaft connected between said lever elements on each side of the fulcruming means, apawl loosely mounted on each shaft, adapted to be given an up and down movement when the lever elementsare reciprocated, a spring-pressed plunger projecting youtwardly from theupper portion of each pawl, and crank-controlled means slidingly secured to said standard below the frame, for .movement into engagement with said plungers, to hold the nose portions of the pawls vin engagement with the teeth on the-lifting bar, whereby the latter may be raised when the lever elements 'are reciprocated. V

3. In a jack, the combination with a tubular standard of a lifting bar having oppositely disposed ratchet teeth thereon, slidingly movable in said standard, a frame secured to the upper portion of the latter, a pair of oppositely-disposed lever elements fulcrumed to said frame, a shaft connected between said leverV elements on each side of the fulcruming means, a pawl loosely mounted on each shaft, adapted to be given an up and down movement when the lever elements are reciprocated, a spring-pressed plunger projecting outwardly from each pawl, crank-controlled means slidingly secured to said standard for vertical movement in said frame, and a pair of oppositely disposedl members carried by the slidable means adapted to be moved upwardly by the latter into engagement with said plungers to hold the nose portions of the pawls in engagement with the teeth on the lifting bar, whereby the latter may be raised when the lever elements are reciprocated.

4. In a jack, the combination with a tubular standard, -of a lifting bar having oppositely disposed ratchet teeth thereon, slidingly movable in said standard, a frame secured to the upper portion thereof, a pair of pawls within said frame, a lever adapted to give said pawls an alternate up and down movement, a spring on the upper and the lower portion of each pawl, and slidable means adapted to alternately compress the upper and lower springs on said pawls, to hold their nose portions in engagement with the teeth on the lifting bar in the first instance and out of engagement therewith in the second instance.

5.7In a jack, the combination with a tubular standard, of a lifting bar having oppositely disposed ratchet teeth thereon, slidingly movable in said standard, aframe secured to the upper portion of the latter, a pair of oppositely-disposed lever elements fulcrumed to said frame, a pair of lifting pawls pivotally mounted'between saidlever elements, one on each side of the fulcruming means, and adapted to be given an up and down movement by the lever elements, a

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spring-pressed plunger projecting outwardly from the top and bottom portion of each pawl, crank-controlled means slidingly secured to said standard below the frame, and a pair of oppositely-disposed cam members carried by the VCrank-Controlled means, adapted. to be moved by the latter into Yalternate engagement with the upper andy lower plungers of the pawls, to hold'their nose portions in engagement with the teeth on the liftingbar in the vfirst instance and outy of engagementv therewith in the second instance. A

' ,6. In a jack, the combination with a tusaid lever on each side olf its fuleruming means, an element in said frame to force the nose portionoi a pawl into engagement with a tooth on the lifting bar when the pawl 1s carried to its extreme upper position by the lever,

a spring on the ylower end vof saidpawl, and eam means slidingly secured to said standard, to compress said spring for the purpose of withdrawing the noserportion of said pawl from saidtooth when the other pawl engages a tooth on Vits respective-'side of the lifting bar. Y Y

V7'. lan a jack, the combination with a tubular standard, of a lifting bar havingA opposed series of ratchet teeth thereon, slidingly mounted in said standard, afoot-lift said standard, two parallel. supporting plates oppositely securedy to the upper portion of said standard, a lever fulcrumed to eachfsupporting plate, ashaft Connected bef tween said lever elements on each side of the fuleruming means v and extending through arcuate slots provided in said plates, a pawl loosely mounted on each shaft, aspring-pressed plunger secured to the top and bottom vportion ot' each pawl, a sliding slotted bar extendinginto-said frame, one on each side of the standard, 'a rightangled Cam member extending inwardly from each slotted bar, toralternate engagement with the top and bottom plungers on said Vpawls,

' secured to the lower portion of said bar 'and vmovable through an opening provided in and Y crank-controlled means slidingly se-V Y cured to'said standard, for raising and lowering the slotted bars, to thereby force their Cain; members into alternate @engagement with the upper andv lower spring-pressedv plungers on the 'pawls Y .y Y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 8th ,day of August, 1917.

. ALEXANDER WV. yMARR. Witness: I .WALTER V. SNYDER.

Copies otthis patent may be obtained for five cents each, bly addressing the Commissioner-of Patents,

v Washington, D. C. l v Y 

